By Chijioke Ugwu
Stakeholders of the Abia North political bloc in Abia State, under the aegis of the Alliance for Good Governance, have rallied support for the re-election of Governor Alex Otti in the 2027 governorship election.
The stakeholders, who had earlier adopted Otti as their sole candidate at a meeting in Abiriba, said they had also mapped out strategies to mobilise support for the governor at the grassroots.
At a meeting in Ugwueke, Bende Local Government Area, the group said its latest gathering was aimed at consolidating the Abiriba declaration and reaffirming its support for what it described as good governance under Otti.
In a communique issued at the end of the meeting by the Secretary and spokesperson of the group, Prof. Mkpa Agu Mkpa, the stakeholders said the administration had provided a governance template they wanted future administrations to sustain.
“The meeting unanimously agreed that the administration of Governor Alex Chioma Otti represents good governance.
“All speakers were unanimous in their desire that beyond 2031, when he leaves office, the next generation of Abia leaders must continue with the template this administration has initiated.
“There will be no going back. On the contrary, we shall continue to improve and grow from strength to strength,” the communique stated.
The stakeholders said they would not limit their support to declarations but would embark on grassroots mobilisation and voter education ahead of the election.
“It was also agreed that it is not enough to merely wish that Governor Alex Otti will remain in office beyond 2027; all hands must be on deck to actualise it,” they said.
According to them, voter education would focus particularly on grassroots communities and less literate residents.
“We resolved to embark on massive voters education, particularly at the grassroots and among the less literate. We also agreed to mobilise our youths not to succumb to pressure or inducement from other parties and not to sell their votes,” the communique added.
The group, however, described itself as non-partisan, saying its members were elders of Abia North concerned about the direction of governance in the state.
“We are non-partisan. We are elders of Abia North, a voice crying in the wilderness, calling on all and sundry not to allow this singular opportunity we have prayed for over the years — which God has graciously granted us in giving us a person like Governor Alex Otti — to slip through our fingers,” the stakeholders said.
Mkpa said the group would continue to encourage the governor to break new ground during the remaining period of his first term and, if re-elected, in his second term.
He said the administration had changed the way many Abians viewed their state.
“In the past, we fretted, we trembled, we were afraid and intimidated to be identified as Abians. But today, we can raise our shoulders high and say proudly, we are Abians,” Mkpa said.
Former Minister of State for Mines and Steel Development, Dr. Uche Ogah, said the stakeholders had gone beyond expressing support and had begun working out mechanisms to mobilise voters.
“Almost everyone here has a political structure. These structures will go to the grassroots to enlighten our people at the lowest level,” Ogah said.
He added that the administration’s record in infrastructure and other areas would enable voters to assess its performance.
“But I can tell you that with good governance in place, our people are knowledgeable. They know what is good and what is bad, and the difference is clear. Abians have seen good governance and infrastructure everywhere,” he said.
Ogah urged Abians to support Otti in 2027, saying, “Let Abians come out en masse to support His Excellency come 2027, so that Abia will be reckoned with among other states in the world.”
The host of the meeting, Sir Johnson Chukwu, said the Alliance for Good Governance was created to provide a platform for opinion leaders to contribute to the direction of governance in the state.
He said the group’s position was informed by what its members described as developments in road infrastructure, education, healthcare and other sectors.
“I and my wife are elated to be the second hosts of the Alliance for Good Governance in Abia North. The purpose of this gathering is to institutionalise good governance in Abia State as epitomised by His Excellency, Dr. Alex Otti,” Chukwu said.
“We are fortunate as a people to now have good governance. We need to ensure we institutionalise it across Abia and across the federation.”
Also speaking, former Group Managing Director of FBN Holdings, Elder Urum Kalu Eke, who worked with Otti in the banking sector, said the governor had demonstrated that experience acquired in the private sector could be brought to bear on public administration.
“I was invited to lend credence to the fact that we have one of us who left the industry to make a difference in our home State, Abia. We are proud of his representation,” Eke said.
“We are proud that he has demonstrated quality and replicated at the public sector level the things we advocate in the private sector. Today, we endorse all he has done.”
Eke said the group saw no reason to seek a change where it believed the administration was performing satisfactorily.
“There is no point making a change when there is no need. If you have someone who has performed so well — not just by our acknowledgement but across the country, where even his brother governors use him as a reference point for what governance should look like, you retain him,” he said.
Earlier, the convener of the group, Chief Ebueme Ezikpe, said the Alliance was not a political party and that none of its members was a government contractor.
“What has happened in Abia today is clear and visible. Everybody in Abia State has confirmed that the difference is clear. We must sustain and protect this kind of governance which we have never seen before. We are looking beyond 2031,” Ezikpe said.
